Egg-tray.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1 904.

H. R. DRAKE.

EGG TRAY.

APPLIUATION IILBD DEC. 23. 1903.

2 SHEEN-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Invent-or.-

PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

H. R. DRAKE. EGG TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented March 29,1904. L

PATENT OEETCE.

HARRY R. DRAKE, OF NEWARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO INTERNATIONALEGG-CARRIER AND PAPER COMPANY, OF NE'WARK, NEW YORK.

EGG-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,640, dated March29, 1904.

I Application filed December 28,1903. Serial No. 186,369. (No model.)

' Newark, in the county of Wayne and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Egg-Trays, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specification and shown inthe accompanyingdrawings.

My invention is an improved egg-tray or device for receiving and holdinga small number of eggs, as a dozen, more or less. This tray is to beused both for handling the eggs in small lots and for safely packingthem in boxes or crates for shipping and also for quickly andconveniently candling the eggs before or after packing in the crates.

Similar devices for holding eggs are shown in Patents No. 469,114, datedFebruary 16, 1892, and No. 545,567, of September 3, 1895, my inventionbeing an improvement on the devices shown and set forth in both saidLetters Patent.

It has been found in practice that eggs packed in crates or boxes forstorage or for shipment keep better when the shells are well and amplysupplied with currents of air moving over them; and one main object ofmy invention is to provide better means for ventilation for the eggswhile closely packed in the trays.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for better protectingthe eggs against breakage while in the trays and also means for candlingthe eggs while in the trays without impairing or lessening the meansemployed for protecting or cushioning the eggs.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cheap and convenientmeans for locking the parts of the tray together after being filled withthe eggs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out andmade to appear in the following description, and particularly pointedout in the, appended claims, reference being had in this specificationto the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

Figure 1 is a plan of my improved egg-tray closed as ready for packing.Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same seen as indicated by arrow 2 inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the tray on the dotted line3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the dotted line 4 4 inFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of a part of the inner face of one of the traysections, showing a cavity occupied by an egg. Fig. 6 is a plan at onecorner of the upper section of the tray, showing a locking-tongue. Fig.7 is a plan of a part at one corner of the lower section, showing alocking slit or kerf. Fig. 8 is a plan at one corner of the tray,showing the sections locked together. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of apart of the tray, taken on the dotted line 9 in Fig. 8, showing theparts locked. Fig. 10, drawn to a larger scale,

shows a modification in the form of the cushioning ribs of the tray.Fig. 11 is a vertical section on the dotted line 11 in Fig. 10. Fig. 12is an edge view of the tray seen as indicated by arrow 12 in Fig. 10.

In the drawings, A is the upper section of the tray, and B the lowersection, both rectangular in form and alike and usually made of cheapcoarse strawboard pressed to shape while wet and pliable insuitablyformed molds. These sections are each formed with a series ofovate cavities or depressions a,

(shown in various figures,) arranged regularly in cross-rows, so thatwhen the sections are put together one upon another, as shown, thecavities fall opposite one another in pairs, two together forming anovoidal chamber or cell 6, in which to receive an egg O, as shown. Thesections A B are also formed with transverse channels 0, crossing therows of cavities a and extending from edge to edge of the tray andopening out at their ends at both edges, as shown. These channels archover and open into both sides of every egg-cavity a in the tray and openout at both ends, thus affording passages for the free circulation ofair to and around each egg when in the tray. The arched walls of thechannels form convex ribs or fenders (Z on each side of every egg, sothat the latter are cushioned and protected against injury or shocksthat might be liable to crack the shells, said raised ribs traversingthe cavities a. I also find it desirable to cross the ribs (Z withsimilar hollow ribs 0, Figs. 10, 11, and 12, these cross-ribs, like theribs (Z, opening out full size at both edges of the secdesirable whenthey are to be used for packing eggs for long-distant shipments, duringwhich there is increased danger of breakage.

In Figs. 10, 11, and 12 is shown also a further variation in the form ofthe ribs or fenders of the trays, these being made in short,

separate, or disconnected raised parts f, crowning the egg-cavities, asshown. These short cross-ribs constitute auxiliary fenders, and they maybe formed over or across every cell Z) or not, as found desirable. Theyserve to reinforce and strengthen the continuous ribs crossed by themand aid in the matter of aflording protection for the eggs while in thetrays, whether the latter are packed in crates or used separately.

In thisimproved egg-tray I also form openings g, preferably in clustersof four, through the sections A B, leading into the interior of theegg-cells 6. These openings are made, respectively, opposite one anotherand are useful both for aeration and for conveniently candling the eggswhile in the trays. When the trays are made with single ribs, as shownin Fig. 1, the openings for each cell are made two through the rib andtwo opening directly into the cell. When the trays are formed withcross-ribs, all the openings are made through the ribs, as appears inFig. 10. In forming these openings they are purposely made distant fromthe apexes or high points of the arched ribs or fenders d c f, whichpoints come in contact and press one against another when the trays arepiled in the crate. These points, receiving the force of the shocks andall the abrasion incident to handling and transportation, need to befirm and imperforate, so to have the full resisting strength of thematerial of which the tray is made. Perforations at the crowns or highpoints of the ribs, as have been sometimes made, materially weaken theribs at the points where the most of the wear comes on the trays andwhere the greatest resistance against injury is required.

The sections A B of the tray may be made in a single piece and bend ordouble at the middle to bring the parts one upon another, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3; but I usually prefer to make the sections separate,as shown in other figures. In either case I form the upper section withpointed tongues /t, Fig. 6, near the corners and the lower section withslits 2', Fig. 7, through which to pass the tongues, as shown, Fig. 9showing the relative positions of the parts when the sections are lockedtogether.

Where the sections are in one piece, the tongues and slits are formed atthe two corners of the tray opposite the hinge edge, as shown in Fig. 1.When the sections are separate, the tongues and slits are formed at allfour corners, as shown in Fig. 10. The tongues at the two sides of thetray point in opposite directions, and to insert them in the slits theupper section is temporarily bent convex upward at the middle, thesections being brought fairly together face to face when the tongues arepressed home in the respective slits.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An egg-tray comprising two similar sections or main parts each formedwith ovate cavities in rows, the sections being placed together face toface with the cavities one upon another, two associated cavitiestogether constituting a cell for receiving an egg, there beingcontinuous air passages or channels traversing the rows of cavities ineach section from side to side and opening out at both ends at the sidesof the tray.

2. An eg -tray comprising two similar rectangular sections each formedwith cavities in rows for receiving the eggs, the sections being placedtogether with the cavities one upon another, two cavities constituting acell for receiving an egg, there being air passages or channelstraversing the cavities, transversely disposed, said channels extendingcontinuously'from side to side of the tray and opening out at all foursides of the latter.

3. An egg-tray comprising two similar sections each formed with ovatecavities in rows, the sections being placed together with the cavitiesopposite in pairs constituting cells for receiving the eggs, there beingraised ribs or fenders on each section of the tray extending over saidcavities in transverse directions extending entirely across the tray tothe extreme opposite edges thereof.

4. A tray for holding eggs, consisting of two equal sections formed withcavities in rows and placed one upon the other, and parallel,continuous, raised, protecting-ribs traversing the cavities in onedirection, and short separated ribs disposed transversely of thecontinuous ribs.

5. An egg-tray having two equal and similar sections or main parts, eachhaving cavities and placed together with the cavities registering andtwo together forming an ovoidal cell for receiving an egg, there beingraised protecting-ribs on each section over the cells, and perforations,through each section and through said ribs, leading to the cells.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this lath day ofDecember, 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY R. DRAKE.

Witnesses:

PETER R. SLEIGHT, E. E. GENTHNER.

ICC

